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From Matthew Henry's Commentary
The Apostles Reproved.
30 And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that
any man should know it. 31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The
Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and
after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. 32 But they understood not
that saying, and were afraid to ask him. 33 And he came to Capernaum: and being
in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the
way? 34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among
themselves, who should be the greatest. 35 And he sat down, and called the
twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be
last of all, and servant of all. 36 And he took a child, and set him in the
midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, 37
Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and
whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me. 38 And John
answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he
followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. 39 But Jesus
said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name,
that can lightly speak evil of me. 40 For he that is not against us is on our
part.
Here, I. Christ foretels his own approaching sufferings. He passed through
Galilee with more expedition than usual, and would not that any man should know
of it (v. 30); because he had done many mighty and good works among them in
vain, they shall not be invited to see them and have the benefit of them, as
they have been. The time of his sufferings drew nigh, and therefore he was
willing to be private awhile, and to converse only with his disciples, to
prepare them for the approaching trial, v. 31. He said to them, The Son of man
is delivered by the determinate council and fore-knowledge of God into the hands
of men (v. 31), and they shall kill him. He had been delivered into the hands of
devils, and they had worried him, it had not been so strange; but that men, who
have reason, and should have love, that they should be thus spiteful to the Son
of man, who came to redeem and save them, is unaccountable. But still it is
observable that when Christ spoke of his death, he alway spoke of his
resurrection, which took away the reproach of it from himself, and should have
taken away the grief of it from his disciples. But they understood not that
saying, v. 32. The words were plain enough, but they could not be reconciled to
the thing, and therefore would suppose them to have some mystical meaning which
they did not understand, and they were afraid to ask him; not because he was
difficult of access, or stern to those who consulted him, but either because
they were loth to know the truth, or because they expected to be chidden for
their backwardness to receive it. Many remain ignorant because they are ashamed
to enquire.
II. He rebukes his disciples for magnifying themselves. When he came to
Capernaum, he privately asked his disciples what it was they disputed among
themselves by the way, v. 33. He knew very well what the dispute was, but he
would know it from them, and would have them to confess their fault and folly in
it. Note, 1. We must all expect to be called to an account by our Lord Jesus,
concerning what passes while we are in the way in this state of passage and
probation. 2. We must in a particular manner be called to an account about our
discourses among ourselves; for by our words we must be justified or condemned.
3. As our other discourses among ourselves by the way, so especially our
disputes, will be all called over again, and we shall be called to an account
about them. 4. Of all disputes, Christ will be sure to reckon with his disciples
for their disputes about precedency and superiority: that was the subject of the
debate here, who should be the greater, v. 34. Nothing could be more contrary to
the two great laws of Christ's kingdom, lessons of his school, and instructions
of his example, which are humility and love, than desiring preferment in the
world, and disputing about it. This ill temper he took all occasions to check,
both because it arose from a mistaken notion of his kingdom, as if it were of
this world, and because it tended so directly to be debasing of the honour, and
the corrupting of the purity, of his gospel, and, he foresaw, would be so much
the bane of the church.
Now, (1.) They were willing to cover this fault (v. 34); they held their peace.
As they would not ask (v. 32), because they were ashamed to own their ignorance,
so here they would not answer because they were ashamed to own their pride. (2.)
He was willing to amend this fault in them, and to bring them to a better
temper; and therefore sat down, that he might have a solemn and full discourse
with them about this matter; he called the twelve to him, and told them, [1.]
That ambition and affectation of dignity and dominion, instead of gaining them
preferment in his kingdom, would but postpone their preferment; If any man
desire and aim to be first, he shall be last; he that exalteth himself, shall be
abased, and men's pride shall bring them low. [2.] That there is no preferment
to be had under him, but an opportunity for, and an obligation to, so much the
more labour and condescension; If any man desire to be first, when he is so, he
must be much the more busy and serviceable to every body. He that desires the
office of a bishop, desires a good work, for he must, as St. Paul did, labour
the more abundantly, and make himself the servant of all. [3.] That those who
are most humble and self-denying, do most resemble Christ, and shall be most
tenderly owned by him. This he taught them by a sign; He took a child in his
arms, that had nothing of pride and ambition in it. "Look you," saith he;
"whosoever shall receive one like this child, receives me. Those of a humble,
meek, mild disposition are such as I will own and countenance, and encourage
every body else to do so too, and will take what is done to them as done to
myself; and so will my Father too, for he who thus receiveth me, receiveth him
that sent me, and it shall be placed to his account, and repaid with interest."
III. He rebukes them for vilifying all but themselves; while they are striving
which of them should be greatest, they will not allow those who are not in
communion with them to be any thing. Observe,
1. The account which John gave him, of the restraint they had laid upon one from
making use of the name of Christ, because he was not of their society. Though
they were ashamed to own their contests for preferment, they seem to boast of
this exercise of their authority, and expected their Master would not only
justify them in it, but commend them for it; and hoped he would not blame them
for desiring to be great, when they would thus use their power for maintaining
the honour of the sacred college. Master, saith John, we saw one casting out
devils in thy name, but he followeth not us, v. 38. (1.) It was strange that the
one who was not a professed disciple and follower of Christ, should yet have
power to cast out devils, in his name, for that seemed to be peculiar to those
whom he called, ch. vi. 7. But some think that he was a disciple of John, who
made use of the name of the Messiah, not as come, but as near at hand, not
knowing that Jesus was he. It should rather seem that he made use of the name of
Jesus, believing him to be the Christ, as the other disciples did. And why not
he receive that power from Christ, whose Spirit, like the wind, blows where it
listeth, without such an outward call as the apostles had? And perhaps there
were many more such. Christ's grace is not tied to the visible church. (2.) It
was strange that one who cast out devils in the name of Christ, did not join
himself to the apostles, and follow Christ with them, but should continue to act
in separation from them. I know of nothing that could hinder him from following
them, unless because he was loth to leave all to follow them; and if so, that
was an ill principle. The thing did not look well, and therefore the disciples
forbade him to make use of Christ's name as they did, unless he would follow him
as they did. This was like the motion Joshua made concerning Eldad and Medad,
that prophesied in the camp, and went not up with the rest to the door of the
tabernacle; "My lord Moses, forbid them (Num. xi. 28); restrain them, silence
them, for it is a schism." Thus apt are we to imagine that those do not follow
Christ at all, who do not follow him with us, and that those do nothing well,
who do not just as we do. But the Lord knows them that are his, however they are
dispersed; and this instance gives us a needful caution, to take heed lest we be
carried, by an excess of zeal for the unity of the church, and for that which we
are sure is right and good, to oppose that which yet may tend to the enlargement
of the church, and the advancement of its true interests another way.
2. The rebuke he gave to them for this (v. 39); Jesus said, "Forbid him not, nor
any other that does likewise." This was like the check Moses gave to Joshua;
Enviest thou for my sake? Note, That which is good, and doeth good, must not be
prohibited, though there be some defect or irregularity in the manner of doing
it. Casting out devils, and so destroying Satan's kingdom, doing this in
Christ's name, and so owning him to be sent of God, and giving honour to him as
the Fountain of grace, preaching down sin, and preaching up Christ, are good
things, very good things, which ought not to be forbidden to any, merely because
they follow not with us. If Christ be preached, Paul therein doth, and will
rejoice, though he be eclipsed by it, Phil. i. 18. Two reasons Christ gives why
such should not be forbidden. (1.) Because we cannot suppose that any man who
makes use of Christ's name in working miracles, should blaspheme his name, as
the scribes and Pharisees did. There were those indeed that did in Christ's name
cast out devils, and yet in other respects were workers of iniquity; but they
did not speak evil of Christ. (2.) Because those that differed in communion,
while they agreed to fight against Satan under the banner of Christ, ought to
look upon one another as on the same side, notwithstanding that difference. He
that is not against us is on our part. As to the great controversy between
Christ an Beelzebub, he had said, He that is not with me is against me, Matt.
xii. 30. He that will not own Christ, owns Satan. But as to those that own
Christ, though not in the same circumstances, that follow him, though not with
us, we must reckon that though these differ from us, they are not against us,
and therefore are on our part, and we must not be any hindrance to their
usefulness.
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